Lausanne, Mar 19, 2013: The world’s best Table Tennis players have confirmed their attendance at the USD 268,000 ITTF World Team Classic to be held on 28-31 March 2013 in Guangzhou, China.
The World Team Classic is comprised of 12 teams, which include the 6 continental champion teams plus the best 6 world ranked teams.
‘The World Team Classic is a very important part of ITTF’s calendar” stated ITTF President Adham Sharara. “It allows the champions of each continent to have a chance to compete against the World’s best for the lucrative prize money on offer” added Mr Sharara.
The 8th edition of the World Team Classic will be headed by the always star studded Chinese team, whose dominance was recently acknowledged by being nominated for the Laureus Team of the Year award. The men’s team will be led by current World no.1 MA Long and London 2012 Champion ZHANG Jike who will join up with their other celebrated team mates in the bid for the World Team Classic crown.
Like the Chinese men, the Chinese women’s team will go to Guangzhou also boasting the World no.1 player DING Ning and the London 2012 gold medalist LI Xiaoxia in their ranks, and will be heavy favorites for the title.
The main challenge to China, in the Men’s Team event will come from no.2 seeds Germany with the reigning European Champion Timo BOLL at the helm. The recently turned 32 year old will have strong support from London 2012 bronze medalist Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and some rising stars in the bid to turn the bronze they won as a team in London 2012 to a World Team Classic gold.
Fellow bronze team medalists from London 2012, Singapore’s women’s team will have a new look heading to Guangzhou as they hope to topple the mighty Chinese. FENG Tianwei, who inspired that bronze in London, is on duty but with the rest of the London 2012 retired, FENG will be supported by a younger cast, who will be hoping that youth will be the key to beating the Chinese.
The tournament is organized in two stages; the first stage in each competition sees the 12 teams drawn into four groups with three teams in each group; the teams finishing in first and second places progress to the quarter-finals.
Men’s Team Event – Seeding
1. China 2. Germany 3. Korea 4. Japan 5. Austria 6. Chinese Taipei 7. Sweden 8. Singapore 9. Brazil 10. Egypt 11. Australia 12. United States
Women’s Team Event – Seeding
1. China 2. Singapore 3. Korea 4. Japan 5. Hong Kong China 6. Germany 7. Netherlands 8. Poland 9. United States 10. Australia 11. Brazil 12. Egypt
So, who will win the 2013 World Team Classic, find out by watching all the action LIVE on ITTF.com/itTV starting from on 28 March, right up until the gold medal matches on 31 March. —- ITTF
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